Pandæmonium
by Uriel Mitchel
Summary: Emma Hartford, an astrophysicist at University of London Observatory, lives in her late parents house with her cat. But on the morning she's expecting results from her exoplanet research when her world gets turned upside down by a certain Time Lord. 10xOC
1. Things Not Seen

**Pandæmonium**

Chapter 1: Things not seen

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,"

Hebrews 11:1

"That's it," Emma thought to herself, "I'm going to kill him!" Emma sat up in her bed. "Where are you?" She called out. She heard a slight rustling under her bed and knew she had him. She peered slowly under the bed and her eyes met with amber globes. There came a small meow. "Oh come here you!" Emma called reaching down and grabbing the orange tabby from under her bed. "Was it you who woke me up?" She said to the tabby. His ears flattened against his head as he tried to look downcast. "Oh..." Emma tried to keep her anger, but every second she looked at the forlorn creature, a little bit slipped away. "Come here ya big faker!" She spread her arms. The cat took the invitation and pounced on her. She lay back down, listening to the soft purr as she scratched his head. "No...it wasn't you," she thought out loud, reflecting on what had stirred her from sleep. She mused for a moment, until the cat nudged her hand so she'd continue petting him, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced at the clock. "Bloody hell, I set my alarm to go off in one hour!" She groaned, "Well at least I have plenty time for tea."

Emma groaned as she stood. She turned off the alarm and went to her closet door upon which hung her robe. Slipping it on, she left her room and walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. She paused at a door on the opposite side of the wall which stood slightly ajar. "Felton, did you go in here last night?" The tabby meowed at his name. She opened the door, the room was empty. It had been since she owned the house. But Emma could not help but feel that someone should be here. She shrugged it off, attributing it to being woken up early. She closed the door, and continued down the hallway.

She entered the kitchen and grabbed the kettle from atop the fridge, then walked to the sink. She let the water run for a second, to get cold, before filling the kettle with enough water. Setting the kettle on the stove, she grabbed the canister of earl grey from the cabinet. After a moment, the kettle went off and Emma went through the motions of making a cup. As it sat there on the table steeping Emma was drawn back to the that which had woke her, she mused. "What was it? I remember a sound," she thought, "As if a piano was wheezing. That's a strange thought. A piano wheezing like an old git," she laughed to herself. She was lost in this image when she was startled by the sound of glass breaking. She jumped, turning to look at the fallen picture frame and an orange tail disappearing around the corner. "Felton! What has gotten in to you?" she yelled. She knelt down and flipped the picture frame over. "Oh, it's the photo of mum and I after graduation..." she groaned. " But... What's wrong with me? Shouldn't there be someone else in this photo?" she paused for a moment.

"Blake... Where's Blake?" she asked herself, "More over... Who is Blake?" The name lingered on her tongue. Familiar, Yet she swore that she never knew a Blake. For whatever reason, though her mind told her she was crazy, her gut felt that someone named Blake should've been with her. She tried to shake the thought, but she couldn't. As she swept up the glass, the thought kept on nagging her, "Blake?" She fixed her tea the way she liked it, sat down and sipped at the cup, and even still she tried to remember if she had ever met a Blake. She looked at the clock, forcing the thought from her mind, and decided to get ready for work early to try and get herself right. She walked back to her room and sighed as she looked at her bed. "A whole hour I could've slept more..." she moaned, as she walked to her wardrobe and picked out an outfit. She grabbed an azure blouse and slipped it on. Blake's favorite colour. She paused and tore off the blouse, opting a peach tunic dress with dark tan leggings. No unwanted flashbacks of someone she shouldn't remember. She fixed her umber hair into a braid, leaving two bunches to curl by here temples. She applied a few dashes of eyeliner and a quick streak of pink lip stain. She flashed a smile at the mirror. Good enough. She hurried herself out the front door and saying goodbye to Felton locked it shut, and headed off to the train station.

Emma made her way to the ticket kiosk, swiped her metropass card and added the trip to and from work to it. She made her way to the platform and found a bench and sat down. She lost herself in thoughts of how strange the morning had been so far. First a wheezing piano had roused her, a room that was, and should be, empty, but for some reason belonged to a bloke named Blake, whom she had never met but was supposed to have been at her graduation, in her photo no less. She even knew his favourite colour, sky blue. As she reflected, she barely even noticed that someone had walked up beside her.

"Hey Emma!" came the woman's voice. Emma turned and looked, for a second she didn't recognize the face but shaking off her rampant thoughts, she realized it was her old flat mate from university.

"Julia!" she jumped up and gave her a hug. "How are you?"

"Great, you?" Julia replied.

"Bit of a rough morning but other than that, alright," Emma said, "What are you doing in Wycombe? I thought you were still living in London."

"Moved back about a week ago. I'm engaged to to Freddy, you know." Julia responded.

"Congrats! Finally settling down, yeah?" Emma said.

"Why don't we go get a cuppa? You're getting off at Marylebone, yeah? You can tell me about your morning and I can fill you in on my life. Girl talk, you know?" Emma looked down at her watch.

"I'd love to," she said. "I know a splendid cafe close to the station."

Emma exited the train, looking back at Julia as she disembarked.

"Well he's a bit of a kinky bloke, that Freddy," Emma snickered.

"I know!" laughed Julia, rolling her head back. They left the station, making their way towards the cafe.

"It's just around the bend," Emma called back to Julia, leading the way. As they entered the shop their noses were greeted by pleasant aroma of strong blends of dark roasts.

"What are you having," asked the barista, noticing them at the counter. Emma made to grab he wallet to see how much she had on her, but Julia stopped her.

"My treat," she said. "The usual? I remember you'd always order the same thing when we used to go out." Emma laughed and nodded. Julia looked over at the barista, "She'll have a skinny mocha, extra milk." _Blake's favorite._

"No," Emma blurted quickly. "No, I changed my mind. I'll have a caramel latte." Julia turned, raising an eyebrow in surprise that melted into concern.

"You really are having a rough morning." Emma found a seat as Julia finished her order and paid. A few moments passed, then Julia headed to the table with two steaming cups. "So.." she said while blowing the steam from her hazelnut macchiato, "What happened?" she asked.

"Have you ever met someone who swears they know you, but you know you've never met them before?" Emma asked and Julia nodded. "Well, I keep having these errant thoughts, like with the coffee, about this man named Blake. Though I've never known a Blake, for some reason I know his favorite colour, how he takes his coffee. Details that I would know only about close mates." she explained.

"Well there was that one guy from University. Blane, I think," Julia suggested.

"No," Emma replied, "It's someone I've known or rather, should've known, since I was young." Julia paused for a moment before taking a sip from her cup, then looked at Emma. "You think I've lost it," Emma sighed.

"No, it's not..." Julia started.

"It's okay," Emma said, "I'm beginning to think so."

"No...if you had gone crazy, you wouldn't be so concerned," Julia said. Emma took a drink and mulled it over.

"What do you think it is then?" Emma asked, putting down her cup.

"How often do you get time off?" Julia asked.

"I get every Sunday off. Other than that I have a week or two of leave saved up." Emma answered.

"You've been working too hard sweetie." Julia said as she patted Emma's hand. Emma nodded in agreement.

"But I can't take any time off, I am in the middle of a project," she explained.

"Well then," Julia sat back with her mug, "when those results come in you promise me, _promise me, _that you'll take some time off. Visit your Aunt, go home. Take some flowers for your mum and dad. Maybe you'll figure it out or it might go away." Julia said. Emma paused then stated.

"Alright, I'll go!"

"And if you break your promise...I'll make you wear the nastiest colour to my wedding. The colour of sick or something," Julia giggled. Emma laughed knowing full well Julia would follow through if she did. Their laughter was cut off by the buzzing of Emma's mobile as it vibrated across the table. She picked it up. It was a text.

Tony: _Urgent! Something wrong with photos from last nights imaging._

Her heart dropped. She had been hoping the photos would be ready when she got to work, "I knew I shouldn't have let that intern work the telescope unsupervised!" she exclaimed.

"What's happened Emma?" Julia asked.

"I've got to go, hopefully something can be salvaged from those images," Emma stood up quickly. "I should have enough time to take the next Bakerloo."

"Well hurry up then," Julia said.

"Can I get this with legs," Emma asked the barista. He quickly poured the mug into a insulated travel cup. Emma took it and ran out of the cafe. As she rounded the bend she nearly toppled into a man. As she disentangled herself from his trench coat, she muttered an apology.

"No harm done," he said in a Northern accent, "Now why are we running?"

"I need to get to the Observatory in Edgware, like, five minutes ago," she said, a little irritated by the delay.

"Funny thing...time. Well then you best be off...See you round Emma," He said then walked off. _Strange, how did he..._ Emma shook it off as someone from school as she hurried towards the station.

….

"Poor girl," He said as she disappeared into Marylebone, "I'm so sorry Emma Hartford, I truly am." He sighed and turned down the street. There came a sound of an old piano wheezing, then just the noise of London traffic.


	2. Time I Am

Chapter 2: Time I am

"Time I am, the destroyer of the worlds,

who has come to annihilate everyone.

Even without your taking part all those arrayed

in the opposing ranks will be slain!"

Bhagavad Gita 11:32

"I've got to get a car," Emma thought as she hailed a taxi. One of the hackney cabs pulled to a stop in front of her. As she got in, the driver turned to face her.

"Where to?" He asked.

"The observatory please," Emma blurted.

"Right." The driver punched a button on the meter before rolling back into traffic. On a normal day, the drive to the observatory seemed to be over before it began, but today every second felt like an eternity. As they pulled up to the observatory, Emma quickly threw a bill towards the driver as she jumped from her seat. "Miss, your change!" he called.

"Keep it!" she yelled as she hastened towards her building.

"Emma," came a voice. Emma glanced and saw her colleague Tiffany getting out of her car. "Tony text you too?" Tiffany asked.

"Hey Tif. Yeah and I hope they didn't cock up too bad," Emma replied.

"Why was that cabbie smiling so big? He looked kinda pervy," Tif said.

"I think I gave him a fifty," Emma sighed.

"But the ride is only twenty! That's a thirty quid tip!" Tif gasped.

….

Emma threw open the doors to the building. "Tony you wanker! If you messed up my project I swear by my parent's grave, I will chop your knob off and feed it to Felton," she screamed.

"She's pissed," said one of the interns poking his head out from the kitchen, "And it only took her thirty minutes to get here."

"Cough it up," said the other, holding out his hand.

"But I've only got a fiver," said the first, pulling out the bill.

"Don't think I'll forget about the other five quid either," said the second snatching it away.

Tony sheepishly edged his way past the two to stand far enough away from Emma so she couldn't reach him without stepping forward. "I promise it wasn't my fault," he said, "but in a few of the images there is a strange...anomaly."

"Show me," Emma seethed. Tony turned starting down the hallway.

"Follow me," he said. He made his way towards Emma's office. He pulled the chair out as Emma sat down at her computer. He then navigated to the file that held the images and pulled them up. "Several of them are still usable," he said to allay some of her anger. "There are a few that the stars around the images block out what we were looking for," he said. "Like we always say, 'O sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams.'" He quoted John Milton. He scrolled to the next image at the lack of laughter at their inside joke. "And this is where it gets real strange." He enlarged a section, "Here is the star we where looking at to detect a wobble, in one of the photos we took last night this appears." He clicked on the next image in the same area. Only this time the star was obscured by a pale white and navy blue streak.

"What is that?," Emma pondered.

"Look there, that looks like letters," Tiffany said, "but what does it say?"

"P-o-l...Police maybe?" Emma said. Tony switched to another image.

"See, in the corner, the blue wooden box with a white sign." He said. The door opened and closed behind them.

"It's a police call box," said a man's voice as the smell of pipe tobacco filled the room.

"Dr. Turncoat," Tony whispered.

"Phil!" Emma smiled, "Back from sabbatical?"

"Oh yes my dear, I see you've managed to not burn the place down in my absence," He chuckled, "Despite the tykes we've taken on. One of them saw me smoking and wanted my autograph. Had to explain to the poor chap that I was not J.R.R. Tolkien and that he is, in fact, dead."

Emma giggled, "It's good to have you back," she hugged him and breathed in his familiar scent.

"Now, what was it you were saying?" Tiffany broke them up.

"Right, it looks like a police call box," Phil said.

"A what?" Tony asked.

"Back before your ephones and such.." Phil begain.

"I think you mean iphone, Phil," Tony interrupted. Phil glared at Tony.

"That's Doctor to you, and if you ever interrupt me again, I will fail you. As I was saying, before mobiles, these boxes were how you would contact emergency personnel. But I haven't seen one since oh... the late 60's."

"That's because it only looks like a police box," the door flew open to reveal a man in a blue suit. "That's actually a TARDIS."

"A what?" Phil asked.

"Doctor," nodded the man, "that would be my ship."

"You fly around in a call box? It must be awfully cramped," Phil commented.

"Well, it's roomy when there's only one person," the man replied.

"What type of energy does it use? I mean to say how does it work?" Phil asked.

"It runs on artron energy," the man said.

"Artron, hmm. Is that one of the things they're working on at CERN?" Phil asked. The man made to speak but Tony broke in.

"Wait, wait, wait...So you're telling me that you think you can fly around in a phone box. And you believe him Dr. Turncoat? Who is he?" He turned to the man, "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor." He said.

"No...he's the doctor," Tony stated, pointing to Phil.

"Doctor Phillip Turncoat yes...but I'm the Doctor." he said.

"Doctor..." Tony lead, expecting a name.

"Just the Doctor." He said.

"Oi, you're that bloke from this morning," Emma shouted.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, confused.

"I almost knocked your lights out this morning rushing to get here," she groaned.

"Sorry, don't recognize you," the Doctor said, "What's your name?"

"Emma, Emma Hartford," she responded.

"Nope. Only Emma I know was killed by General Stenx. So, Em." He began.

"It's Emma! No one calls me Em. Not since..." she trailed off. Not since her parent's death. No one besides them was allowed to call her Em, except Blake. She forced the thought away.

"So, Emma if you'll excuse me," He walked over to the computer, pulling out a small metal tool with a porcelain handle. A blue light came out of the end as he pushed a button, along with a slight pulsing whistle.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked as the pictures flickered on the computer screen.

"Well," the Doctor began, concentration clearly etched on his face, "The problem is my TARDIS has been stolen. And these pictures have the last known coordinates of the TARDIS. So I might be able to track it's motion in these pictures and...Aha...got it!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Got what?" Tony asked.

"The location of the TARDIS," Emma suggested.

"Exactly," The Doctor nodded.

"So where is your spaceship Doctor?" Phil asked.

"Westminster Abbey," The Doctor said.

"Westminster Abbey?" Emma asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, you know the big Gothic stone one." the Doctor said.

"I know what it looks like thank you! But that's all the way in London proper, a good hour from here," Emma said.

"Right," the Doctor inhaled, "I'm going to need a car."

….

Tiffany pulled up to the curb as Emma and the Doctor waited for the pop of the locks. They quickly piled in. As Tif pulled off, Emma turned to the Doctor, "So you really don't remember me?" She asked.

"No," the Doctor said flatly.

"'No harm done? Funny thing time?' Any of that?" she continued.

"Well, time is a funny thing, but no," the Doctor replied. Tiffany glanced at Emma and pulled out her mobile, Emma's mobile buzzed.

Tif: _Do you know him?_

Emma: _No, but I swear I met him earlier._

Tif: _Do you know if he can be trusted?_

Emma: _No...but I do trust him._

"Oi, keep your eyes on the road!" the Doctor exclaimed, pulling out the metal cylinder. As he pressed the button, their mobiles turned off.

"What did you do?" Tif yelled, "What is that?"

"It's a screwdriver," the Doctor replied.

"I've been around tools," Tif said, "And that is no Phillip's!"

"Right, no, this is mine. Not Phil's." the Doctor said.

"No, I meant Phillip's head screwdriver," Tif groaned.

"Oi, don't get naughty with me. What you and Phil do in your spare time..." the Doctor replied.

"Nevermind," Tif sighed. Emma glanced back at him.

"Alright, who are you?" she demanded, slightly annoyed by his wry smile.

"The Doctor," he replied.

"No, I mean your name," she pressed on.

"I already told you, it's the Doctor." he said.

"I will pull over right now if you don't tell us," Tif yelled.

"Alright! It's John Smith," he said.

"Pull over," Emma said, turning to Tif. Tif slowly eased the car off to the side and then turned to face him.

"Show me some ID or else you're out," she said, "Emma trusts you. Normally that would be enough, but that trust is starting to wear thin." He rummaged through his coat, grimacing slightly, until he produced a leather wallet.

"Here, look at this," He said, handing it to Tif.

"John Smith, PHD of Astrophysics, UKSA," Tif said, "So that's your real name... and you're actually a doctor."

"Let me see," Emma said and Tif passed the wallet to her. "Where is the ID?" Emma asked.

"Right there," Tif said, pointing to it.

"Tif...this paper is blank." Emma whispered.

"What?" the Doctor called, surprised.

"Yeah Emma, it's right here," Tif encouraged.

"Tif!" Emma said sternly, "It's blank. There is nothing here but white paper with a weird fractal gloss."

"That's impossible," The Doctor mused, "the only person on Earth I'vemet naturally immune to psychic paper was well...William Shakespeare."

"_On Earth_?" Emma retorted, "You say that like your not on Earth often... That call box really is a spaceship, isn't it?" The Doctor nodded. "And that means that you're a... a space traveler with high tech gubbins, like a 007 astronaut" Emma stammered. The Doctor nodded again. "Oh the people at University will love this," Emma said. Tif glanced at Emma.

"You're buying into this, yeah?"

"Well that would explain the wand...er, screwdriver," Emma said flatly.

"But he looks so...average."

"Oi, you lot look average!" The Doctor retorted. Tif sighed.

"Well, I guess we should keep going." She turned the key and the engine roared to life again. Pulling back onto the road, she accelerated and merged with the flow of traffic. As they drove a little ways, Emma turned to the Doctor, "So when you say William Shakespeare..." she trailed off.

"Yeah, I do mean the 16th century playwright," The Doctor finished.

"Oh, Have you got a time machine too?" Emma joked. The Doctor nodded.

"Time and Relative Dimension in Space, TARDIS for short."

"God, I hope you're not crazy," Emma sighed, turning forwards as they continued down the road headed for Westminster.


End file.
